1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems, methods, and apparatus for identifying and measuring exercise repetitions in an exercise system.
2. Background and Relevant Art
Exercise systems, increasingly found in both home and institutional settings, are generally categorized into one of two groups: aerobic exercise systems (or “aerobic devices”) and anaerobic exercise systems (or “anaerobic devices”). Aerobic systems generally comprise machines or apparatus configured so that a user can elevate his/her heart rate by exercising continuously between a moderate and intense degree, over a relatively prolonged period of time. Aerobic systems generally comprise exercise devices such as treadmills, steppers, skiers, rowers, ellipticals, and so forth.
Anaerobic systems, by contrast, generally comprise machines or apparatuses configured to provide a user with brief, relatively intense resistance over a relatively short period of time. Anaerobic systems generally comprise exercise devices such as press systems (bench press, leg press, etc.), based on free weights or weight stacks, bar bell and dumbbell systems, cable and pulley systems, and utilize one or more adjustable resistance members.
An increasingly important component for exercise systems is the ability to accurately monitor the user's progress through a given workout program, which may include exercises on both aerobic and anaerobic systems. Many aerobic exercise devices implement some form of basic electronic monitoring apparatus that counts the duration the user has been exercising on the device, and then provides the information to the user in the form of an electronic display. More complicated aerobic systems implement a more sophisticated electronic monitoring apparatus that may further calculate the slope, speed, or resistance level provided to the user on the aerobic system, the total calories burned, the calories burned per minute, distance traveled, and, in some instances, comparisons with standardized data (e.g., data related to the user's prior workouts).
Unfortunately, electronic monitoring, as described herein, has been limited primarily to aerobic exercise systems, rather than anaerobic exercise systems, due in part to the way that aerobic exercises are typically performed, and the way in which the aerobic exercise data is counted. In particular, for example a conventional odometer or speedometer can be added to rotating parts of aerobic systems such as the rotating wheels in treadmills, ellipticals, and so on. The data obtained from these monitoring apparatuses can then be combined to provide the user with the aforementioned results.
Anaerobic devices, by contrast, are not normally suited for these types of monitoring apparatuses, since anaerobic systems do not typically rely on continuously rotating parts. Additionally, the amount of work a user undertakes is more directly tied to resistance and repetitions rather than being tied to time or speed. In particular, anaerobic exercises comprise a wide range of motions which one would not ordinarily couple to a rotation-based or other typically used monitoring device, such as a speedometer, odometer, or heart rate sensor. For example, a user may make long sweeping motions of roughly similar length in the form of a bench press on one gripping bar, but make only small motions of highly variable length when performing a wrist curl with the same gripping bar. Coupling motions such as these to a speedometer, odometer, etc. does not ordinarily provide the type of information desired to accurately assess the quality or quantity of work performed with most anaerobic exercisers.
Thus, where exercise device manufacturers have tried to implement electronic monitoring functionality with anaerobic exercise devices, manufacturers have been limited primarily to providing a user only with an electronic indication of the amount of resistance in a given anaerobic exercise. Unfortunately, even if present, these sorts of electronic anaerobic monitoring apparatus are not accurate in measuring the number of repetitions performed in a given anaerobic exercise, or the number of sets performed in a given anaerobic exercise. Typically, such exercise devices may inaccurately detect multiple repetitions when a single repetition has been conducted. Alternatively, such devices may not count a repetition even where a repetition has been performed. Since accurate measurements of this sort of data can be important to a workout program, users typically rely on recording personal anaerobic exercise data on their own.
Accordingly, an advantage in the art can be realized with systems, methods, and apparatus that can accurately measure the number of repetitions a user performs through a wide variety of anaerobic motions. In particular, an advantage can be realized with monitoring apparatus that can accurately measure and display the number of repetitions a user performs, regardless of whether the repetitions are long, short, consistent, or inconsistent exercise motions.